Alonzo

Alonzo was the name of both the father and the brother (both called by nickname Lon) in the Smith family in this “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” flick, "Meet Me in St. Louis," starring JudyGarland. This dashing Latinate name, which has always ranked in the Top 1000, is ready for wider use. Don’t like Lon? You can call me Al.

The first real Broadway musical was a five-and-a-half-hour 1866 curiosity called The Black Crook, featuring characters named Rodolphe, Stalacta, Barbara and Amina.

Since that time, of course, there have been countless more shows with zillions of names of characters belting it out on the Great White Way, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. There are so many of the former that it’s been hard to narrow it down to a dozen or so Nameberry Faves, but here are our final picks:

Adelaide—In Guys & Dolls, Adelaide is an endearing Hot Boxclub dancer with a perpetual psychosomatic cold due to the frustrations of a 14-year engagement. Not surprisingly, Aussie Rachel Griffiths chose this rapidly climbing Australian place name for her daughter; Katherine Heigl spelled it Adalaide.